JD Finance’s iOS app was removed from China’s Apple App Store this morning (Dec. 7), Chinese media is reporting (in Chinese), the latest in a slew of removals affecting Chinese companies.
“We are in contact with Apple to clarify the situation and will make the app available for download again as soon as possible,” the company said in a statement cited in Chinese media, adding that the beta version of the app is available in the meantime.
The app is still available for Android users. It is unclear whether the app is removed from all App Stores outside of China.
Apple has been increasing scrutiny over mobile apps in China—one of its biggest markets. Last month, it removed 700 plus apps from the country’s App Store. Popular social e-commerce platform Pinduoduo and search giant Sogou were affected by the purge.
The apps in question were pulled for skirting Apple’s policy that any updates must pass through the App Store before rolling out to the public, which the company started imposing last year. Some of the apps removed were found back in the China App Store less than 24 hours later.
In August, Apple removed 25,000 gambling apps from China’s App Store for flouting its policies. Last year, a large number of VPN apps were pulled in order to comply with Chinese government regulations, the company said at the time.
According to app tracker Analysys Qianfan, JD Finance’s app reached nearly 16 million monthly active users) in February (in Chinese), placing it at top of investment and finance app charts.
JD Finance, a spinoff from China’s e-commerce giant JD.com, began operating independently in October 2013. The company offers online financial services, including wealth management and consumer credit products.